Feet Giving Way.--Where there is a great deal of standing to be done by
any one, the feet sometimes yield more or less at the arch of the
instep. This becomes flattened, and even great pain ensues; lameness
sometimes follows. Young girls who have to stand much are especially
liable to suffer in this way. In the first place _rest must be had_.
Wise masters will provide due rest for their employees, foolish ones
overwork them. Rest is not against, but in favour of work; work cannot
be well done without due rest. The proper rest for feet such as we
speak of will be the most easy and comfortable position. _Comfort_ is
the test of the right treatment. Bathe the feet in hot water for a good
while, using plenty of soap. Rub gently with hot olive oil, pressing
any displaced bones into, or near, their place. Carefully avoid giving
pain. Massage similarly with oil the whole limb, and also the back
(_see_ Massage). Do this every day at least once. You may have months
to wait, but a sound limb is worth a good deal of patience. When
standing is absolutely necessary, strips of strong sticking plaster
passed down from above the ankle bones, and round under the instep,
help greatly.
Boots are better than shoes, and should be comfortably easy, with low
heels.
Fever.--In all fevers, to _cool down_ the excessive heat of the patient
(_see_ Heat, Internal) is the best process of treatment. This may be
best done by continued cooling of the head. Have a towel well wrung out
of cold water. Fold it so as to envelop the head. Press it gently to
the head all round, changing the place of pressure frequently. Have a
second towel ready, and continue cooling with freshly cooled towels
perhaps for an hour or an hour-and-a-half. Then leave the last cold
towel on, and put a dry towel above it. The next cooling, when the
fever heat again arises, may be given, if it can be managed, by placing
a cold towel along the spine. Cover this with a dry one, and let the
patient lie on it. Change this, though not quite so frequently as in
the case of the head. Work _carefully and gently_, so as not to annoy
the patient. If ice can be had, it may be put in the water used to cool
the cloths. If the feet be cold, foment them in a blanket (_see_
Fomentation). Keep this on the feet for an hour. There will most likely
be great relief with even one course of such treatment. It must,
however, be _persevered in_ until the fever be conquered. In any case
of fever, when a patient is too weak to bear the hot fomentation and
cold towels, we would recommend rubbing the feet and limbs if cold with
hot oil, and the stomach and chest, and if possible the back with soap
lather. It is well at first to soap the stomach only, and for some
time; and each time till the last it is well to wipe off what you have
rubbed on, so that the skin may be as clean as possible for the next.
To do this only once is often quite sufficient to soothe, so that the
patient falls off into a gentle, natural sleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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